Till poverty knocked at her door
She never knew how bare
The uneventful days of those
Who have but want and care.
Till sorrow lingered at her hearth,
She never knew the night
Through which troubled souls might fare
To gain the morning light.
Till suffering had sought her house,
She never knew what dread
Many wrestle with, or what grim fears
Of agony are bred.
And yet till those unbidden guests
Had taught her to possess
A clearer sight, she never knew
The height of happiness.
-Charlotte Becker (Inward Peace, 2019)
Whoever wrote this, must have a parallel life to mine, or did she have a vision of me in her dream? An image of a woman who found happiness against all odds?
Of course, the poem spoke to me. How could it not?
But then wait! Maybe it’s not just about my life, but it’s everybody’s life story. The sorrow, the suffering, and the lessons we learn.
So different, yet all so similar. How does one measure pain and suffering? Do we dare to compare?
The road to inner peace is not an easy one, but an eventful one. It’s a beautiful journey, even if it pushes us through a valley of tears at times. The bad times never last long and if they do, then while living them, we cope and adjust.
Sometimes I wonder, why am I so happy? And why am I so at peace within myself?
Yes, the broken world around me bothers me and people anger me but deep down, where it counts, I am satisfied and content.
Perhaps this world has always been broken, and perhaps always will be, and to live in it, to find serenity within, is perhaps the only purpose we all have.
To find the heights of happiness!
To find inner peace!
So beautiful Bridget! That is the ultimate goal… peace, happiness and serenity.
An amazing poem, Bridget. There is nothing more important than inner peace, and although our circumstances can at times make that peace seem an impossibility, perspective and time can give us the opportunity to reframe our judgements and thoughts and plant that peace. It sure doesn’t come through material things! You’ve been very clear about that. And it’s true!
As so often, I wish you would live close by and I could invite you over. I have a feeling we would talk for hours and hours.
Deep! And so true!
Simply beautiful!
Grazie, mille!
🙏🌹🙏🌹🙏
Until I reached the end I thought you must have written it
Me too
Of course, the poem spoke to me, too. How could it not? So thought provoking!! The last stanza is especially poignant!
“And yet till those unbidden guests
Had taught her to possess
A clearer sight, she never knew
The height of happiness.”
Sometimes those unbidden guests are hidden. It is in recognizing and dealing with them that we are blessed!
Jan, you summed it up beautifully. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you thought so.
Intriguing and beautiful thoughts. I know I appreciate my life now more than I would have without the hard parts.
JoAnna, you are spot on. Sometimes we forget how much we learn from the hard parts.
Just perfectly descriptive of so many people’s experience. Inner peace is the greatest treasure.
Yes, it is. Thank you, Peter.
This is great – thanks for sharing it, Bridget!
<3
David
Thank you for reading, David.
To find one’s inner peace is a goal worth pursuing. As for the rest … many of us tend to mask our feelings and concerns from all but our nearest and dearest, and even from them sometimes simply because they are so near and so very dear.
Sadly, I suppose this is true. I try not to, but I know I mask up when I feel ‘things’ coming too close or when I am not ready.